10 Reasons to Choose Camper Calling for Your Family Festival Experience

Joanna Armah-Kinson Author

Jun 12, 2024 |

You may not have heard of Camper Calling, but we think its one of the best family festivals out there. Read on to find out why.

10 Reasons to Choose Camper Calling for Your Family Festival Experience

If you’re new to family festivals, recomendations can be one of the best ways to choose which one to go to.  

We've all been there - scrolling through a seemingly never-ending list of festivals, trying to find the "one" that offers the perfect blend of fun, learning, and community for your family.

Over the past ten years we’ve been to lots of family festivals, and we’ve come to love Camper Calling.

It's been a core part of our summer since it started. Every August Bank Holiday we look forward to a weekend where the hassles of daily life dissolve, replaced by laughter, fun, and unforgettable memories.

Have you heard of Camper Calling?

This hidden gem might not be as famous as some others, but we believe it's one of the best family festivals going.

Read on to find out why.

1. Location, Location, Location

It's may be just South of Birmingham, but Camper Calling feels a world away from your daily routine.

Camper Calling is held at Ragley Hall, near Alcester. It's not far from a number of motorways and A roads so there's very little driving down country lanes required to get there. And your unlikely to suffer the hours and hours of traffic jams that often plague many more remote festivals. 

So you get more time to enjoy the festival and less time stuck in the car - a big win for busy families or those who's kids hate car journies!

2. Camp Beside your car

Ever tried juggling camping gear, excited kids, and a long walk to your campsite?

At Camper Calling, you can park right next to your campsite. It's a simple thing that makes a huge difference. 

You can bring as much stuff as you can fit in your car or van and there's plenty of space if your willing to camp a little further from the stages. 

Setting up is much quicker when you do it next to you car. And packing up in a rainstorm is so much easier when you don't have to trudge through mud carrying everything.

It’s worth noting there is one campsite where you can’t park next to your car, but for the majority of them you can.

3. Facilities that are second to none

Nothing dampens your festival fun quicker than poor facilities. Kids can be funny about festival toilets at the best of times but if they aren't well maintained it can make for a very miserable weekend .

At Camper Calling, you'll find ample, regularly cleaned & restocked toilets.

Even better, look hard enough and you might even find the proper fixed toilets – with mirrors – that you don’t have to pay any extra for!

The showers are kept clean too and we've never had to wait longer than twenty or so minutes for them. 

4. Unique Activities

Every good  festival makes sure it has some unique things on offer.

At Camper Calling, in addition to the stages, dance test, fairground and other more standard festival activities you can 

• do yoga in front of Ragley Hall 
• race paddleboards
• go to a silent disco in the woods
• tour Ragley Hall
• walk their beautiful gardens
• play on the adventure playground.

What’s not to love?

5. Impressive Lineups

While Camper Calling may not boast the headliners that the biggest festivals have, it delivers a fantastic line-up for a reasonable ticket price.

There's always some big hitting bands like McFly, Skin, Groove Armada and The Fratelli’s keeping the music lovers happy.

Plus we've seen some totally unexpectedly brilliant DJ sets from the likes of the Artful Dodger, Barrioke and others.

And there’s always an abundance of up-and-coming talent, some cover bands and festival favourites.

You’re never going to please everyone, all of the time with a festival line up. But Camper Calling repeatedly manages to have something for everyone at a really reasonable ticket price.

6. The Best Kids Entertainment

Yeah ok, I’m a bit biased on this one.

It’s not just African Acrobatics Circus who come back year after year. Camper Calling has numerous brilliant and dedicated entertainers who will keep the kids happy all weekend long.

As a festival they genuinely do cater for all members of the family.

• For the adults there’s yoga, garden tours, hot tubs, 90’s bands and paddleboard racing.
• And for the kids there are circus activities, talent shows, tree climbing, storytelling and lots of crafts.

But this isn’t about spending time apart – its about all of the amazing activities you can do together. Get dressed up in fancy dress, boogie the night away to the silent disco in the woods and get involved decorating a wall with graffiti.

After attending the festival in 2023, Caroline, one of our friends said “We had the most amazing time. Our son absolutely loved it, and we can’t wait to come back next year”.

7. It's big enough, but not that big.

Over the years we’ve watched Camper Calling grow and grow. It’s gone from a single stage to attracting thousands of families every year.

And yet, it manages to retain a cosy, family feel.

All of the areas of the festival are easily walkable and getting from one stage to another is quick and easy. Which means less tired legs and more time for having fun!

8. The Camper Calling Community are Lovely

Most of my memories of Camper Callings include chatting, laughing and dancing with people I've never met before and probably won't again. 

We've made friends with countless "neighbours" over the years both in the camp site and by the stages. And despite how much bigger the festival has grown, that has never changed.

In general, the people who go to Camper Calling are some of the most chilled out and friendly festival goers I’ve ever met. 

Come and join the Camper Calling family – you won’t regret it!

9. The VW’s

In the early days there was a show and shine and as the festival has grown it still attracts lots of camper van owners. 

If you've ever dreamed of owning a camper van, a walk around the campsite will give you lots of inspiration and possibly a little bit of FOMO!

But, if you're sticking to a budget you'll want to keep your purse very tightly closed if you go for a wander around the stalls. There are so many fabulous things you can buy and keep to one side, ready for “when you do finally buy your van”.

10. It's really well organised

Over the past ten years we’ve been to many, many festivals. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to organisation. 

Camper Calling is hands down the one of best organised festivals we have ever visited. When problems arise, they get dealt with quickly. The showers and toilets are second to none. Traffic tends to flow well and the traffic to get in and out is well managed.

And when everything runs so smoothly, you get to focus on enjoying the festival without distractions. 

So, there you have it. 10 Reasons we love Camper Calling

Festivals where you can camp beside your car, enjoy a diverse lineup, and experience a close-knit community are rare. Camper Calling offers all this and more.

It combines great music, a range of activities, excellent facilities, and a warm community atmosphere, all in a manageable size and location. It balances entertainment and relaxation and delivers a weekend of fun and bonding for the whole family.

Camper Calling might just be the perfect festival for your family.

But if you’re still unsure, don't worry, I've got you covered.

I've created "3 Simple Steps to Choosing the Ideal Family Festival". It guides you through an easy-to-follow process that will take you from having an overwhelming choice of festivals to knowing exactly which festivals are perfect for you.

Download the guide now, find your perfect festival match and who knows? We might just see you dancing in the crowd at the next Camper Calling!

Categories: : Family Festivals